The Department of Ecology at the College of Science, University of Basra, organized a seminar on coral reefs: their distribution and environmental importance. The seminar, presented by Master's student Hanaa Hussein Mohammed, aimed to introduce coral reefs, their global distribution, and the key environmental conditions conducive to their growth.

The seminar addressed the services provided by coral reef ecosystems, including supporting biodiversity, protecting coastlines from erosion, increasing the economic value of countries in the fishing and tourism sectors, and their medicinal benefits.

The seminar also discussed the threats facing coral reefs, both local, such as coastal development, overfishing, pollution, and sewage, and those caused by natural phenomena like hurricanes, floods, and predators, as well as those resulting from human activities and global climate change.